1. The field of the invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for inputting image forming condition. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus for inputting image forming condition, in which image forming condition including editing condition and control condition is inputted to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine by utilizing a storage medium.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a recent electrophotographic copying machine, a number of input keys for designating not only a copy quantity and a copy density but also a copy magnification, an original size, a paper size and so on are arranged on a control console. Therefore, an operator who operates such an electrophotographic copying machine must be well aware of an operation method, and it takes a long time to operate input keys to input a series of copy condition information.
As one method for solving these problems, new copy systems are proposed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laying-Open Nos. 70461/1985 and 184664/1985 laid-opened on Apr. 22, 1985 and July 6, 1985, respectively.
In the former prior art, a copylizer capable of reading or writing a data from or to a magnetic card is provided on a copying machine and a function setting data is read by the copylizer when the magnetic card in which the function setting data is stored in advance is inserted to the copylizer. The data read in the copylizer is transferred to a data processing means by a data transferring means and the data processing means gives commands to respective functional parts of the copying machine in accordance with the transferred data. Accordingly, respective functions are set by the commands in the respective functional parts of the copying machine.
However, in the former prior art, there is no disclosure in connection to how to write in advance the function setting data into the magnetic card and what kinds of the function setting data should be written. Furthermore, in this prior art, a restricted amount of information amount can be written because of the magnetic card, therefore, in the case where a number of functions need to be controlled in the same time when an image editing should be performed, for example, it is impossible to utilize such a magnet card since copy condition information capable of being stored is too little.
In the latter prior art, a marked sheet reading mechanism is provided on a copying machine and a marked sheet on which items of necessary copy jobs are marked in advance is inserted thereto. In the copying machine, the items of the copy jobs designated by the marked sheet are performed by respective function parts.
In the latter prior art, it is necessary to prepare a marked sheet for each copy works, and therefore it is troublesome to prepare such a number of marked sheets. In addition, likewise the former prior art, the number of functions capable of being simultaneously set are restricted, and therefore the latter prior art does not have enough information amount to perform an editing function, too.
For an electrophotographic machine capable of image editing, two types machines are known in rough classification. A first one is disclosed, for example, in the Japanese Patent Laying Open No. 87470/1984 laid open on May 21, 1984. In this third prior art, an original is put on an editor board for image editing and a position on the original surface is designated by an input pen for "trimming", "masking" or the like, and thereafter the original is moved and put on an original table to execute copying process.
Another one is disclosed, for example, in the Japanese Patent Laying Open No. 10771/1983 laid open on Jan. 21, 1983. In this fourth prior art, an original is put on an original table while facing upward, coordinates on a surface of the original to be edited are detected and entered by means of keys, and thereafter the original is turned over and the copying process is executed.
In the third prior art, an apparatus dedicated to editing such as the editor board is required and therefor, it costs higher and has a disadvantage in space saving. In the forth prior art, coordinates on the surface of the original are read and the coordinates data is designated through keys, and therefore operation is very troublesome.